


Out of the Loop

by dazeful



Category: BNA: Brand New Animal (Anime)
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing, Michiru is kind of dense, Misunderstandings, Not Beta Read, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dazeful/pseuds/dazeful
Summary: All the times Michiru wanted to ask Nazuna out and the one time she actually succeeded.
Relationships: Hiwatashi Nazuna/Kagemori Michiru
Comments: 5
Kudos: 127





	Out of the Loop

_ “You have a place in my heart _

_ no one else could have.”  _

𑁋F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Say, Nazuna?” 

A twitch of a pink ear, “Hmm? Something wrong?” Nazuna twirls a strand of her pink hair between her fingers, taking a long sip from her a vividly colored drink. 

Michiru props her head up on her furred hand. She watches the light of the dying day cast shadows about Nazuna’s face, the sun casting a halo around her head. It’s pretty, she thinks. No,  _ Nazuna  _ is pretty. The words,  _ will you go out with me,  _ rise in her throat, threatening to break free, yet die on her tongue. “Nevermind,” She mumbles. Another day, she’d surely have the courage to ask some other time. 

“O-kay,” The fox beastman draws out the syllables of the word, as though she’s annoyed by Michiru’s response. “Anyway, the mall closes in an hour. We still have time to go to a few more shops.” She points in the direction of a clothing store, “There’s a thrift store there, I thought you might be able to find something? It’ll be cheaper. And I know you’re… well…” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Michiru waves her hand back and forth, “I’m unemployed. You can just  _ say  _ it.” 

Nazuna laughs, a sunny sort of look dancing across her face. “Well, I didn’t want to be rude.” And then they’re both laughing, smiles tugging at their lips and eyes crinkling. The fox takes another sip of her drink and stands, “Alright, I’m done. Let’s go!” She hands the empty cup to Michiru, who tosses it into a nearby waste bin with precise accuracy. 

The tanuki beastman lets the other girl lead her to the next store. As she walks, Michiru takes in all that is Nazuna. The way she takes each step is confident, attracting all the attention to her. She sorts through the clothing in the store diligently, only holding up things she knows Michiru would like. Her brows furrow when she concentrates, a quirk she’d hadn’t had as a human. It’s the little things about her that Michiru has fallen for, the things she only notices now that she watches the girl closer. 

_ “Oi!” _ Suddenly a pink hand is being waved in her face. “Are you listening?” Nazuna puffs her cheek, annoyance clear as day on her face. 

Michiru clears her throat, “Ah, yeah! Sorry I spaced out for a sec.” She laughs awkwards, a hand reaching behind her hair to scratch her head. “Could you repeat what you were saying?”

Nazuna shakes her head, “Honestly.” She holds a shirt up so Michiru can peer at it. It’s an orange and white patterned tank top, with little sun designs on the collar. “I asked if you liked this? Doesn’t it look a bit like your old basketball uniform?” 

“Oh, it does!” The girl plucks the shirt from Nazuna, holding it up to look closer. “Aw, it’s too much, though.” She fiddles with the price tag peeking out from between the fold of the tank top. “I don’t have that much on me, you think they do credit?” 

It’s gone from her hands the next second, Nazuna having snatched it back. “I’ll get it for you, you owe me, though!” There’s a playful glint in her eyes, one that Michiru knew all too well. 

“You really don’t have too, I can always come back next week when I have some more cash𑁋”

“Don’t be silly, it’ll be gone by then. I’m buying it, whether you want me to or not.” She swats at Michuru’s tail as she passes, and Michiru snorts loudly. 

“Fine, fine. Not like I could change your mind.” 

Nazuna fishes her wallet from her coat pockets, “Are you calling me stubborn? That’s rich coming from you.” 

“Hey𑁋” 

xx 

“Nazuna, are you free this weekend?” Michiru grins, trying her best to appear seductive. “Let me take you out.” 

The mirror doesn’t respond, her reflection simply starting back at her. 

She sighs, she’d been practicing all day𑁋 practicing to ask Nazuna out, that is. Yet, no matter what she said, the words just felt stiff, awkward. Michiru had never done this, after all, and the only resources she had on the subject of dating were various wiki pages. 

Michiru clears her throat, ears flicking anxiously on her head. “Nazuna? Did it hurt when you fell fr𑁋” 

A voice cuts through the room. “Should I come back later?” 

The tanuki whips around, red already rising on her cheeks. “I𑁋 Who?” 

Shirou blinks at her from the door, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “Didn’t mean to butt into your alone time…” He trails off, “Or whatever this is.” The man makes a gesture with his hand, and Michiru can tell he’s desperately holding back a laugh. 

Her tail fluffs up, a tell-tale sign of her embarrassment. “How much did you hear?” Her words end with a growl, her ears pressed flat against her head. 

“Most of it.” Michiru gives him a sharp look, pupils narrowing to slits. “All of it.” 

“You should have knocked!” Michiru’s hair fluffs up, her cheeks a brilliant shade of red. “Anyways what did you need?” She’s desperate to change the subject, wanting to rid herself of her lingering shame. 

Shirou scratches at Kuro’s neck and the bird trills softly. “I’m going to the station to question the criminal who was captured yesterday. Did you want to come along?” 

“No, I think I’ll stay home today.” Michiru crosses the floor to her bed, plucking her phone from where it rests on the sheets. The time reads  _ 12:09,  _ meaning Nazuna was back from her visit to Marie. (They’d hit it off after saving the city and now met for tea occasionally.) “Tell me what you find out, kay?” 

The wolf beastman hums and disappears out the door. Michiru groans and sinks to the floor, legs stretching out before her. Why was telling someone you liked them so hard? Oh, that’s right, because she was scared of being rejected. 

“Okay,” The tanuki pumps a fist into the air and hops up. “Today for sure. I won’t back down again!” She snatches her jacket from the bed and pulls it on, stepping out into the frigid autumn air. 

The city is quiet today. The sky is overcast, washed in deep blues and dull gray, and she could smell rain in the air. It’s cold, her exposed skin soon covered in gooseflesh, but not cold enough to warrant her to grab another jacket. Her tail bobs against her back as she skips across the street, and her hands curl into fists at her sides. She was really doing this. 

The door to Nazuna’s house stands tall above her head. Michiru raises her clawed hand in preparation to knock, but stops a hair’s width from the door. Her stomach is suddenly doing flips and sweat beads on her forehead.  _ She couldn’t do this.  _

She crosses the street back to her own home, tail tucked between her legs like a frightened puppy. She was usually so brave, so outspoken, so what made her so afraid of confessing her feelings? She had no trouble talking back to Shirou or poking fun at the Pink Flamingos. So  _ why?  _ Why was Nazuna any different? 

Michiru sighs and flops onto the couch.  _ Next time _ , she’ll definitely confess next time. 

xx 

Music thrums in her ear, the song reminding her of days in high school and summers spent at the beach. Michiru hums along, and Nazuna soon joins. It was their song, the song they listened to on park benches and at their parent’s home. The only thing they’d carried with them from their human lives. 

They’re in Nazuna’s room, sitting knee to knee on her spacious bed. It’s dark outside, moonlight filters in through gaps between the curtains and Nazuna’s lamp washes the room in a yellow glow. Forgotten ramen cups sit on the table beside the bed, the covers are misplaced and half on them half off of them. It’s comforting, Michiru thinks, almost domestic. 

The song ends and the tanuki girl pops the headphone out. “Ahh, that song’ll never get old.” She flops back onto the bed, kicking her legs up and down under the covers.

Nazuna makes a quiet noise of agreement and flips through her phone. “What should we listen to next? That one artist you liked released a new song the other day,” She trails off, looking to Michiru for confirmation. 

“Sounds good to me, I hadn’t listened to it yet.” The earbud finds its way back into her ear. She props a pillow under her head and casts an arm over her eyes. 

A guitar strums in her ears, an upbeat sort of melody, and the occasional  _ clack  _ of drumsticks striking against each other separates the string music. 

_ Hold up, love, I've fallen for you _

_ It's this lust that I've succumbed to _

_ Trust my gut, and I believe that _

_ In this world there's only you, you _ __

The singer’s voice is rough, aged, and makes Michiru feel like she’s far away from the room she lays in. 

_ Don't seem to understand my dilemma _

_ My gut's been lying to me since I stood up _

_ Spent all this time, but I ain't gettin better _

_ Don't be lovin on a fool, fool _

Michiru’s tail beats against the bed with the music, and her hand moves like a conductor of a symphony as the beat progresses. She loved this sort of music, the kind that made you want to move along with it. 

_ Slow down, I need to find _

_ With no doubt inside my mind _

_ Just why I, I go so far _

_ To grow flowers for you, dear _

The headphone falls from her ear as she sits up abruptly. Nazuna cocks an eyebrow and studies the tanuki closely. “Michiru wh𑁋” 

“Nazuna.” 

“Yeah?” 

Michiru takes a deep breath, folding her legs underneath her and placing her hands on top of her knees. “Will you go out with me?” 

The other girl starts, pink tail twitching behind her. “Huh?” 

“I really like you, Nazuna. Since we were humans, I’d started crushing on you when we first shared a class together.” She’s rambling now, Michiru knows she is, but she feels like if she keeps talking she can keep Nazuna from rejecting her. “I know we’re both girls, but𑁋” 

Nazuna opens her mouth, eyes wide. “I𑁋”

“𑁋so it might be weird, but I don’t really think it matters. I’ve only ever liked girls, so it’s normal for me, but𑁋” 

“Michiru!” Nazuna snarls, teeth flashing in the lowlight. “Can you let me get a word in? Please?” She shakes her head back and forth, her sunset hair whispering across Michiru’s cheeks and causing a shiver to run along the tanuki’s body. 

Michiru purses her lip. “Sorry.” Her eyes close tightly, as though she can’t bear watching Nazuna reject her. 

“Forgive me for laughing,” Nazuna snickers and Michiru’s heart plummets, “But, weren’t we already dating?” 

“Eh?” Michiru starts, eyes flying open. 

“Well, we already go out on dates all the time. And we spend most of our time together… so I had assumed,” her words die off. 

“But, but I thought!” 

Nazuna reaches for Michiru’s hands, clasping them in her own. Her claws bite into the sensitive flesh around Michiru’s knuckles, but she finds she doesn’t mind. “I’m sorry. I should’ve made it clearer, you  _ are  _ a bit dense.” She struggled to keep a straight face, lips quivering and tears on the edges of her bright eyes. “We’re dating. Girlfriends. Lovers. P𑁋” 

“Okay, okay!” Michiru’s face is a mask of red. “I feel so stupid.” She buries her head in her hands, tail swishing behind her. 

She feels a touch on her cheek and then her head is being lifted up. Nazuna peers down at her and smiles, “I’m sorry for teasing. I shouldn’t have laughed.” She strokes a stray hair from Michiru’s face, tucking the dark strand back into the tanuki’s mane of hair. “But now you know, yeah? It had to happen sooner or later.” 

“Yeah.” The tanuki mumbles, her cheeks puffed out as she stares at her girlfriend. “Do you think we could seal the deal?” 

“How forward, at least take me to dinner first!” Nazuna feigns a gasp, curling her arms around her chest. 

Michiru swats at the other’s shoulder playfully, “A kiss! I meant a kiss!” She pulls at the fox’s tail, trying to get her to come closer. “We don’t have to yet, but𑁋”

“I didn’t say no.” That playful fire is back in Nazuna’s eyes. “I don’t really know how, though. You’re the first person I’ve ever been with.” 

“Same goes for me. We can learn together, if you want.” Michiru scratches her cheek nervously, eyes adverted to Nazuna’s ceiling. There are stars pasted to the wall above, the ones parents got for children who were scared of the dark. They weren’t there last time she’d come over, Nazuna must’ve gotten them recently. She lets her gaze flit back to the other, face questioning. 

Nazuna grins, “Okay. I’ll take the lead then?” 

“Alright.” 

Michiru closes her eyes, a look of fierce determination on her face. A second passes, and another, and then something soft is pressed up against her lips. Her hands fidget beside her, Michiru’s not sure what to do with them, so she lets them rest against Nazuna’s thighs. For a moment neither of them move, but soon Nazuna is pressing more and more soft kisses against Michiru’s lips. Michiru moves her own lips against the others, trying to follow Nazuna’s lead. Michiru takes Nazuna’s lower lip into her mouth and locks their mouths together. 

It’s messy, weird, and it’s obvious that the both of them are unsure of what to do. Nazuna tastes like cherry lip-balm and the soda they’d had early, and Michiru thinks it's fitting that the fox tastes sweet. She wonders how she tastes, she’s had a mint early and she really hopes it overpowers the ramen she’d eaten. Nazuna’s lips press roughly against hers once more, and then pull away. 

“Gotta catch my breath,” Nazuna gasps out. And it’s only then Michiru realizes she’s out of breath too. “That was nice.” Nazuna’s words are broken by her sharp intakes of air, her lungs desperately trying to take in oxygen. 

Michiru laughs, scratching her head. “Yeah.” She moves until she’s curled around Nazuna’s body. “It was different than I’d imagined.” 

“Worse?” 

“Better.” 

“Ah, I see.” Nazuna tangles their legs together, pressing herself into Michiru’s arms. “Now we can do it all we want, now that you’re in the loop and all.” She giggles into the tanuki’s chest, hair tickling Michiru’s chin. “I’m happy.” 

Michiru leans over and flicks the lamp off and the room is plunged into darkness. “Yeah, I am too.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi !! Comments are appreciated!!
> 
> Just finished BNA and oml I loved all of the characters. I wrote this while watching the last episode haha, I think Nazuna and Michiru would be so cute together !


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